A twist on the classic pineapple version, this dessert has a wonderful sweetly tart flavor with a hint of citrus, and the cake texture is light and fluffy – the perfect complement to the zesty fruit topping.

This is a recent addition to my holiday baking menu, but it was such a hit at the family Christmas dinner last year, it’ll now be making a regular appearance!

The cake recipe comes from my mum’s vintage Best of Blue Ribbon cookbook, and the topping is the same as for any fruity upside down recipe – but using cranberries, orange zest and juice, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Place the brown sugar, ½ stick butter cut into small pieces, and 2 tablespoons orange juice in the pan, and place in the oven. Watch as the butter melts and sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally to spread mixture around the pan. When mixture begins to bubble, remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Place the cranberries, 2 tablespoons orange juice or orange liqueur, orange zest, and cinnamon in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Continue to cook until about half the berries have popped, stirring often. Pour over the cooled brown sugar mixture in the cake pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until lighter in color and fluffy.

Add the vanilla to the butter mixture, then beat in the egg yolks one at a time.

Alternately add the flour mixture and the milk to the batter, mixing between additions, ending with the flour mixture.

In a separate bowl, add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat to form soft peaks.

Gently fold the egg whites into the batter, being careful not to over mix.

Spoon batter over the berry mixture and spread gently to the edges of the pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until golden and the cake has begun to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes, then invert and continue to cool for another 5 minutes before carefully removing the pan.

Nutritional Info*

Nutrition Facts

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 529Calories from Fat 171

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 19g29%

Saturated Fat 11g55%

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2g

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

Cholesterol 93mg31%

Sodium 292mg12%

Potassium 82mg2%

Total Carbohydrates 82g27%

Dietary Fiber 2g8%

Sugars 51g

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A15%

Vitamin C14%

Calcium10%

Iron10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Prepare and Organize

If the cranberries are frozen, allow them to defrost fully on the counter, or in the refrigerator overnight.

Pull the eggs and 1 1/2 sticks of butter from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature. Separate the egg yolks from the whites.

Organize the rest of your ingredients, tools, and baking utensils. Cut ½ stick of butter into small pieces. Juice and zest the oranges. I like to use a microplane or citrus zester, and a glass citrus reamer.

Step 2 – Caramelize the Brown Sugar

Lightly coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan with vegetable oil.

Turn the oven on to 350°F.

To the cake pan, add the brown sugar, the small pieces of butter, and half of the orange juice (2 tablespoons), then place the pan in the oven while it preheats. Be sure to keep an eye on it, because you don’t want the butter and sugar to burn.

As the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, stir and spread it evenly around the pan with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon. Once it begins to bubble, remove the pan from the oven, stir thoroughly, and allow it to cool on a wire rack.

To the butter and egg mixture, add the sifted flour mix and milk gradually and alternately, starting and ending with the flour, and scraping down the sides of the bowl when needed. Set batter aside.

Step 5 – Beat the Egg Whites

Add the egg whites and cream of tartar to a large bowl or cleaned bowl for the stand mixer. Make sure the bowl is not warm. If you just washed it, stick it in the freezer for a few minutes first. You don’t want your egg whites to deflate from the hot temperature if your bowl retains heat.

Using an electric mixer with clean, dry beaters, whip the egg whites until they form a slight peak. Gently fold the egg whites into the stiff batter using a large rubber spatula, adding them one large scoop at a time for 3 or 4 scoops total. Do not over mix.

Step 6 – Add the Batter to the Pan and Bake

Spoon the batter gently over the top of the prepared berries, spreading lightly but evenly to the edges of the pan.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown, the center is firm, and the edges of the cake have just pulled away from the pan walls.

Step 7 – Cool and Serve

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before carefully turning onto a flat plate. Allow to sit for another 5 minutes before lifting the pan away. Cool completely.

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream.

Bright and Beautiful

This cake is so pretty, it’s almost too hard to cut into it – but go ahead and slice away, the flavor and texture are every bit as wonderful as this festive dessert looks!

Fresh berries are best, but frozen work well too. And taking the time to add the whipped egg whites separately is important. It’s a bit more work than adding whole eggs to the batter would be, but it makes the cake texture ever so light.

And remember, to ensure the fruit releases from the pan, allow the cake to cool before turning and lifting the pan away.

*Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

Recently retired as a costume specialist in the TV and film industry, Lorna now enjoys blogging on contemporary lifestyle themes. A bit daft about the garden, she’s particularly obsessed with organic tomatoes and herbs, and delights in breaking bread with family and friends.

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